1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of dishwashers and, more particularly, to a utility shelf including a pivoting retaining wall for mounting on a dish rack of a dishwasher.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the art of dishwashers, it has typically been industry practice to design racks with dish support members arranged for loading standard dishware, such as dinner plates. Some articles, such as flatware, cannot be loaded like standard dishware, but rather require special consideration. Toward that end, manufacturers provide removable baskets for supporting flatware during a washing operation. Other articles that require special consideration include small or lightweight plastic tableware and various cooking and food preparatory utensils.
Most modern dishwashers employ a number of wash arms to deliver a high pressure spray of washing fluid onto the dishware. This high pressure spray is very effective at removing built-up soil and food from the dishware. Unfortunately, it is also effective at dislodging small and lightweight tableware arranged in a dish rack. Once dislodged, the lightweight tableware can interfere with the washing operation, such as by blocking spray arms or shielding other objects from the high pressure spray. To combat this problem, manufacturers have included snuggers and other retaining members to hold the lightweight articles on a rack.
Cooking and food preparatory utensils also require special consideration. Too large to be accommodated by the flatware baskets, consumers typically lay the utensils on the dish rack or on the retaining member used to hold the lightweight tableware in the dish rack. In either case, like the lightweight tableware, the utensils can dislodged during a washing operation. To address this concern, certain manufactures include removable utensil baskets with their dishwashers. However, the baskets take up valuable space and, since they are not always necessary, they are removed from the dishwasher and often times lost or misplaced.
Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for a utility shelf that can support utensils and other items not suited for a standard flatware basket in a dishwasher. More specifically, there exists a need for a utility shelf that does not take up valuable space and yet remains an integral part of a dish rack.